The Tale Untold
by FallenGiant
Summary: Every man, woman and child in Skyrim could tell you about how the Dragonborn saved the world from Alduin and ended a civil war at the exact same time. Yet there is not a soul in all of Tamriel that could tell you about his last adventure.


He awoke as the sun began to rise from beyond the horizon. Both eyes cracking open as the early morning rays cut through his window. With a yawn Egil pulled himself from his bed and carefully stepped over his furry companion, still sleeping despite his master's routine. A sharp whistle was more than enough to wake the canine though, and with a yawn Bran was lumbering after Egil. He was quick to get ready, throwing on some simple furs that had been fashioned into armor many years ago, before grabbing some cooked rabbit and popping it into his mouth as well as a waterskin that would be filled up at the lake. With one last stretch Egil grabbed his hunting bow, a couple dozen arrows and an iron knife before making his way outside. He was careful to keep his gaze away from the locked doors in his home, lest he waste the day lamenting what once was.

The summer wind kissed his cheek as Egil opened the door, the heat was a nice change of pace from his previous few weeks at Heljarchen Hall. He allowed himself to remain still, enjoying the breeze on his face before the slight nudging of his friend pushed him to make his way to the lake, filling up his water skin and moving into the woods. It was a familiar environment to him, with ease he settled into his old mindset and began to stalk through the woods, slowly pushing low hanging branches aside and stepping over vagrant twigs.

It seemed like hours before he spotted anything, slight abrasions against a tree, hardly anything to go off, yet it was more than enough to put him on the right path. The discovery of deer tracks half an hour later however, was exactly what he wanted. He was quick to put Bran on the animals' scent and soon his partner was leading him through the woods. The process was slow yet Egil found that he cared little for rushing the hunt, patience was key and Egil would be damned if he'd rush himself only to make a silly mistake and lose his prey.

The dog let loose a bark and suddenly shot forward into the brush and out of sight. Curiously Egil made to follow Bran with the intent to discover why his loyal companion had charged off. _"Can't be the deer, he knows how important silence is." _Curiously Egil continued after his hound and with one last step he pushed past a large bush and found himself on the outskirts of a clearing, Bran already drinking eagerly from the river that cut through the area. His shoulders, once tense, dropped with a sigh as he walked toward the river. He cupped the water in his hands and took a long drink before grabbing his water pouch and refilling it, the morning had been hotter than Egil expected and had left him no choice but to take a drink every few minutes for both him and Bran.

"_The deer must be feeling the heat just as much we are, if not more." _A quick glance around proved Egil right as a set of deer tracks made their way to the riverbank. Egil placed his hand on top of Bran's head while he drank, errantly rubbing a thumb against his ear. He was a good hunting partner, despite the grey creeping into his fur, and had remained by Egils side since their first meeting. Done with his drink, Bran gave Egils hand a lick before walking through the river and resuming the hunt for the deer. Normally Egil would have kept an eye open for more than just one animal on a hunt, however there had been no other signs of other animals, no birds, no hares or foxes. Even the wolves, which were normally incredibly aggressive, had yet to make their presence known. With no other options Egil had done everything he could to keep Bran on the scent of the deer. It was not the first time he'd encountered this problem, his last few hunts had been mired with little to no prey, yet it had never been this sparse.

It was only a few minutes later that Bran stopped moving, his ears pinned to the back of his head and his snout pointing straight ahead. Egil moved forward silently, each step was slowly measured and within a few moments the deer was in sight.

It was not grazing as he anticipated, instead it was laying on the ground, its breathes could be heard despite his relative distance from the creature. He continued forward, still cautious of startling the beast away and with his bow ready to fire should the deer suddenly take off, it never did. Instead the creature made direct eye contact with Egil, frantic eyes scanning him completely before a noise escaped its throat. Panic, pain, sorrow, they were all mixed together into one terrible sound. _"No bite marks, no arrows, not even a single cut. Legs are fine, age maybe? No can't be. Sickness then." _Egil sighed as he pulled out his knife. "I'm sure you would have tasted delicious friend, but whatever sickness has left you like this I want no part of." With his final words spoken Egil drove his knife hilt deep into the creatures' neck. The deer jerked slightly but offered no other resistance, with one last deep breath its eyes slowly closed for the last time.

Egil gave the deer a pat with his free hand and wiped the blade clean against the fur of his armor. Bran was at his side in an instant, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth and his head cocked to the side, likely expecting a reward for finding the beast. Egil gave only a head rub, "Later boy, I'm afraid there's more work to be done before we can rest." Bran gave only a whine in protest but said nothing else. Egil bent down and placed the deer over both shoulders, the bow and arrows on his back made the maneuver awkward. "Don't suppose you want to give me some help boy?" A quick bark was his only response, but it was enough to put a smile on Egils face.

The walk back home was far easier than his journey into the woods, likely because he no longer had concerns of making noise. The return to Lakeview Manor was bittersweet; to be home after a long day on the hunt was one thing, to return with an inedible deer as his prize was something else entirely. He put down the animals' body as far away from the entrance to his home, just beside a small cliff like area. He mumbled a quick apology before summoning a small dancing flame in his hand and turning it into a stream of flame to burn the body. "I cannot eat you and I cannot leave you for the other beasts. You will be put to rest properly, but I fear I must do you one last injustice."

Bran had plopped down beside Egil and remained perfectly still, eyes transfixed on the flame. Likely wondering why his dinner was being cooked so ferociously. For his part Egil had to be sure that the flames properly disposed of the deer. It took longer than he would have liked and every now and then he found himself covering his nose to stop the vile odor from seeping in. Finally, the last bit of flesh had been burned away and all that remained were the burned bones of the deer. Egil was quick to grab his shovel from the side of the manor and began to dig into the earth. When he had dug sufficiently deep, he carefully placed the bones inside leaving the skull for last. With his task complete and his body feeling much heavier that he'd ever admit he made his way inside, Bran following closely behind.

X

"Looks like we'll be leaving for Windstad earlier than we thought boy." Bran raised his head and cocked it before turning back to the rabbit that Egil had thrown to him, blissfully unaware of his partners frustrations. "That deer would have lasted us a good while, now all we have is a fox and three…one rabbit." With a sigh Egil turned to his own supper, rabbit and vegetable stew. It smelled delicious and he eagerly dipped a spoon in and brought it to his lips. A loud hammering from his front door nearly made him drop the spoon. He glared at the door for a moment and turned back to his food. More likely than not it was a traveller, unfortunately for the poor sod Egil had much more important things on his mind, like food. He quickly scooped up more of the dinner and shoved it into his mouth, lest the uninvited guest decided to interrupt him again. He loved the taste of his carrots and potatoes all soaked together with the juice from the rabbit meat. There were no spices in the stew, that would have required him to enter a town.

The knocking came again, this time harder. Bran looked up from the bones of his supper and stared at Egil. "If you want to know who it is, then answer it." Bran laid down in response, his snout resting on his paws. "Well then, I guess they get to stand outside all night." The door was hammered once again, somehow even harder than last time. Egil stared at the door, daring it to make any sort of noise. When none was made, he turned back to his meal and once more raised the spoon to his lips. When the door was once again hit Egil slammed his spoon onto the table and marched toward the offending object. Along the way he ripped an axe off the wall, it was not the most intimidating object he had but it would split open the head of anyone brazen enough to interrupt him.

Egil threw open the door and raised his axe. "Are you looking to die you-" The rest of the sentence died on his lips. There were three men on his door step, the first two stood to the side covered in the typical armor for hold guards, their shields were adorned with the roaring bear of Eastmarch. The man in the middle wore a set of fine fur clothes, on his head sat a simple golden crown. "Hello Ulfric."

"It is good to see you again Egil." He was met with a grunt as Egil stood in the doorway, axe no longer raised. "Something you want?"

"This would be better discussed inside."

"I'm fine talking out here, or does your royal ass miss the comfort of a seat." The sound of a sword being unsheathed took Egils attention away from Ulfric and toward the now armed guard. "You will speak to our High King with the respect he deserves scum, or I- "

The young sounding guard was cut off as Ulfric raised his hand, signalling the end of his tirade. Egil, despite himself, let out a harsh laugh. "Seems you have your dogs well trained." Ulfric only smirked and nodded toward the inside of the manor. "More than yours it seems." Egil turned his head to see that Bran had jumped onto the table and helped himself to Egils supper. With a whistle Brans' attention was brought to his partners and when he saw that Egil was approaching him, he promptly hopped off the table.

During the distraction Ulfric and his guards had slipped into the house and closed the door behind them. With a growl Egil tightened his grip on the axe and stared down the High King of Skyrim. "Nothing's stopping me from killing all three of you." Ulfric didn't even flinch. "Trust me, I know."

The guards looked at each other and placed their hands on the hilt of their swords, the younger one from earlier even took a step forward. The manor was silent all four men standing there, waiting for the other to make a move.

"Ale?" Egils sudden offer startled the guards, the younger one even stumbled back, but it was Ulfric who truly surprised them.

"Please." The High King strode into Egils' kitchen and took a seat, scratching the head of Bran who had come to inspect the visitor. Egil descended a set of stairs for a few moments before returning with two mugs filled to the brim with ale. With uncertain looks both guards awkwardly stood behind their High King.

"You're not an easy man to find, I had every hold guard on the lookout for you. Yet you never took a single step into any city or even a town."

Egil took a long sip from his mug before setting it down, a small amount splashed onto the table. "Who says I didn't, maybe you need better guards." The younger guard made to step forward but was stopped by his companion.

"Kori, perhaps you and Grim should stay by the door." Ulfric tone was not angry but it was firm, slowly both guards made their way over to the door. The younger one throwing occasional glances over his shoulder. "Don't mind the boy, Grim's young and eager to make a name for himself. I knew his father, a good man and a damn good soldier." When Egil didn't respond Ulfric took a sip of ale and sighed. The action forced Egil to really look at Ulfric, his hair had started to turn grey while his beard had long since surrendered its color. He had more wrinkles than most men his age, whether that was from the stress of his position or just the cruel reality of time was anyone's guess. Simply put Ulfric was old, but then again, so was Egil.

"The stew smells delicious, rabbit?" Egil quirked an eyebrow at Ulfrics attitude, the High King of Skyrim never beat around the bush, nor did he visit old friends to sip ale and eat rabbit stew. Seeing this, Ulfric once again sighed and pushed aside his mug and looked Egil dead in the eye. "Fine, I have something I need of you."

Egil slowly lowered his mug to the table and stared rolling the words around in his head before responding. "And what would that be?" His words were slow, daring the man sitting just in front of him to keep talking, he did. "Recently there have been strange reports coming from Falkreath; missing woodsmen, sparse game, even reports of draugr roaming around outside their crypts. So Siddgeir hired some men to fix the problem."

Egils didn't take his eyes off Ulfric, not even when he took a sip of ale. "The mercenaries never came back. A few days later he receives news from one of his scouts, patrols had been cut down, butchered really, by draugr. So Siddgeir sent in even more sellswords."

"Let me guess, they went missing too." A nod from Ulfric was the only response he got. "Heh, I'd say the strangest part of your tale was you allowing Siddgeir to become Jarl again." Egils' jest went either unnoticed or unappreciated because Ulfrics' response was flat. "With Dengeirs' death there was no one else who could take the seat, it's far from ideal but at least he's familiar with the position." Once again there was silence, both men sitting there waiting for the other to respond. With no other choice Egil took the leap. "You want me to take a look, don't you?" A nod was his answer.

"No. Maybe Siddgeir should have come here himself, this is his hold we're talking about" Egils' own response came quick and was punctuated by another drink of ale, his disdain for the young Jarl was evident given his tone. Ulfric gave no indication of any emotion just sitting there with his hands folded across the table. "If Siddgeir had come to your door, would you have honestly let him inside?" When Egil didn't answer Ulfric pushed on. "You're the only one who could possibly sort out this problem, whatever it is." Egil slowly shook his head.

"I'm too old to be running around killing ghosts and bandits, it would be best for everyone if I stayed here. Just hire some more mercenaries, up the pay if they're Squeamish. By the nine even the Companions would be better suited for this. Whatever _this_ is, it's nothing that coin and men can't fix."

"Like Alduin?" The mug of ale stopped halfway to is lips a scowl quickly formed. "That was different."

Ulfric leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. "So is this, whatever is causing this problem it's spreading like a sickness. It started in Falkreath and now it's making its way to every other hold, The Reach and The Rift have sent a few reports of their own, Ivarstead burned down a few days ago, no survivors. I don't have time to throw money at sellswords and pray one of them fixes this. And with the Dominion watching my every Gods damned move I can't send in my army, I need _your_ help, I need the Dragonborn."

Egils' hand covered his mouth eyes staring at his half-finished drink. Ulfric never looked away, watching every single emotion that flashed across his old friends face until finally the hand was pulled away and Egil spoke. "I'll help, but this is it. After this I want nothing else to do with anyone. The world is changing Ulfric, one day I will take my final journey to Sovngarde and there will be no more Dragonborn."

Ulfric gave a solemn nod before draining his drink, he let out a relieved sigh before standing. "When that time comes, all of Skyrim shall mourn and dozens of young men and women shall rise up to take your place." He reached out and after a moment of pause Egil clasped his arm. "Talos guide you Dragonborn."

"And you, High King."

X

On the eastern side of his house was a locked door, behind that was his armor storage. It was not a room he went into often, it was a room of memories more than it was an actual armory. It was not an impressive room; one mannequin was covered in the scales of a dragon while another stood nearby wearing the armor of the Dawnguard, a crossbow hanging on the wall behind it. Neither of these were the ones he wanted, it was the armor located at the back of the room that he truly needed. Tight black leather covered in various buckles and pockets, a few of which were hidden, and a black leather hood to keep his face hidden. It was not his strongest armor, but it was the one he was most comfortable wearing. Egil took to removing the armor from the mannequin and equipping it to his person, with a one last tug his armor was firmly in place. He spent a moment refamiliarizing himself with the feeling of the armor he wore as Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, flexing his fingers and lifting his knees, before making his way to his weapons.

He had several displayed in cases with a few more hanging against the wall. The first weapon he grabbed was his dragonbone bow, it was an unwelcome weight on his back but a necessary one as well. He grabbed several types of arrows and placed them all in his quiver along his back. Next, he grabbed a dragonbone dagger; small, simple, deadly, perfect for slitting throats or sliding between armor chinks. Finally, Egil turned to the weapons case at the opposite side of the room. The glass cover had frosted over blocking object inside from view, it was only when he opened the case did Egil catch a glimpse of what was inside. A unique glass sword with a blue blade rested inside, the air around the weapon grew cold and a slight hissing could even be heard, _Chillrend_. At one time this blade belonged to Mercer Frey, the former Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild but fell into the ownership of Egil during an _unfortunate_ event. With his two main weapons secured Egil quickly turned to leave and was almost out the door when a small box hiding under one of his weapon cases caught his eye.

It was a simple wooden box with a rather complicated lock to protect what was inside. Egil bit the side of his cheek and made to turn around before stopping himself. _"I'll need everything I can carry and all the help I can get." _Before he could change his mind Egil strode forward and scooped up the box. He slid a key into the lock and the lid popped open, inside was a black dagger with silver lining, the symbol for Oblivion was engraved halfway along the scabbard. _Mehrunes Razor _was a vicious looking dagger and one of many Deadric artifacts that he had hidden all over Skyrim. Even now, years after hiding them, Egil could tell you where exactly they were hidden and exactly how to shut off the traps that kept them safe.

Before he could change his mind Egil placed the blade in a holster on his back, intent on only using the weapon if necessary. Once again Egil made for the door only to be stopped for a second time, this time Bran blocked his path. Sat in the doorway and looking at him with a cocked head Bran made it clear that he would not be moving. "You're not coming, I need you here to watch the manor." Bran's bark and refusal to move was enough of a sign that this idea was not accepted. Maybe it was his meeting with Ulfric or maybe it was the sudden trip down memory lane but Egil put up little fight and turned around to grab Brans' armor from another chest. It was simple enough, covering only his back and sides, it left Bran with enough manoeuvrability to move swiftly and without fear of catching a stray arrow. "Just like old times, huh boy?" Egils' hand stopped halfway to Brans' head at his own words, eyes quickly flicking to the door on the opposite side of his home. Just like his armory this room had remained locked for ages, preferring to keep it as far from his thoughts as possible. He had no interest in opening the door, it was better for everyone that way. However, his poorly thought out comment stirred something in his heart and without thinking he found himself walking forward and unlocking the door.

It was a small room; home to only two dressers, two small chests, two end tables and two small beds. On top of one was a wooden sword chipped and broken beyond repair, while the other was the home of a doll, its right arm missing while the left had been sown back on. At the foot of each bed were two names that Egil had carved after one too many arguments about who should sleep where. He refused to look at the names, instead looking only at the sword and doll. He could still hear them, even after all these years.

"_Are you heading out again papa? come home soon!"_

"_Hey pa, do you think you could bring me a sword? Not a real one though, just a wooden one. All the other boys have one."_

"_If he's getting a sword could I get a dolly? Or maybe a new dress?"_

"_You just got a new dress! Don't make pa buy you something every time he comes home!"_

Egil found himself smiling sadly at the memory, he cleared his throat and turned around, yet his voice still came out uneven. "I'll be heading out now, don't make too much trouble for your mother." He had no idea why he said it, it was foolish and almost pushed him over the edge. Yet some part of him could still hear their voices, a pair of monotone promises and laughter emanating from the kitchen. Had it not been for Bran whining behind him he may have stood there for the rest of the day. Egil forced his feet to move, lest he stand there all day and waste his precious sunlight. With one last sigh Egil made his way to the front door and left his home.

Ulfric had not given him an exact location, it was more of a general area of Southern Falkreath. _"Hopefully your hound can sniff them out." _Egil grumbled at the memory but with no other choice set about his journey. He found himself stopping more than once, silently cursing himself for getting rid of his horse all those years ago and not so loudly cursing the High King for knocking on his door. "Should have let him stand there all night, that would have taught the no-good bastard a thing or two about privacy." Mercifully, Bran soon stopped in his tracks. His way off signalling that something was wrong. Egil soon followed his partners lead, dropping into a crouch and listening for any sound. Yet there was nothing that Egil could listen too; no birds, no cracking branches. Even the wind seemed to vanish, scared off by whatever had alerted Bran.

The sound of polished wood being rubbed together broke the silence as Egil pulled an arrow from his quiver, nocking it with ease. His own breathing barely made it to his ears as his eyes closed, making himself even more aware at his surroundings. Crashing came from his left and a split second later Egil was on his feet, arrow launched and on its way to the target. The arrow found its home in the body of a rotten creature in armor, seemingly undeterred from the wound the monster let loose a roar and charged forward. Only to be intercepted by the already charging war hound who tore out the creatures' throat, letting it die with a gurgle. Two more creatures, once hidden by the brush, shot forward in a vain attempt to slaughter Bran only to each be caught in the eye by a well aimed arrow.

"Ugly bastards, wouldn't you agree partner?" His partner, whose muzzle was now coated in the blood of the beast barked his answer.

"So these things bleed huh? Guess that means we're not dealing with draugr. But then what could they be besides draugr?"

Grey skin was pulled tight over the bodies of the dead creatures, black eyes staring lifelessly ahead. The armor was shoddy, almost patched together from scraps. "Seems like something the falmer would make, but even then…" Shaking his head Egil stood up and plucked his arrows from the creatures.

"Seems like we got lucky Bran, let's see if you can't find where these ugly bastards came from."

The dog was quick to get the sent, letting loose a cough at the smell before making his way in the same direction that the creatures had come from. They were silent most of the way, never making any noise that could possibly give them away. For Brans' part he stayed mostly on the same path only occasionally stopping to get his bearings before continuing the same route.

It had only been a few hours after their first confrontation when Bran once again stopped in his tracks. This time Egil already had and arrow nocked, so when another creature, this one shorter than the last three, came charging at him Egil wasted no time in placing an arrow in the middle of the things throat. His interest peaked, Egil made his way over to the creature wary of any other enemies that might be waiting nearby. With Bran on alert Egil inspected the new corpse.

"_Besides the height, it's the exact same as the others." _He could taste the iron of his blood from biting his lip, these new creatures gave only questions. With no progress to be made standing over the dead Egil turned to his partner and offered only a nod of his head.

X

_**I'd like to thank everyone for reading my first story on this site, a really mulled over how I wanted this story to go and I considered pushing the chapter even further but figured this was a good place to stop considering the pacing. Maybe I'm wrong and should have pushed it a little further, tell me what you guys/gals (I'm not sexist) think in the comments. My next update will likely be in the next week or two but until then I hope you all have a pleasant time and I hope to see you next time, Cheers!**_


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